From the Siege
of Vicksburg Official Reports of Capts. Frederick E. Prime and Cyrus B.
Comstock, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Chief Engineers Army of the Tennessee.
New York City, November 29, 1863

APPROACHES.
The following were the principal approaches made during the siege,
beginning at our own right, some of them being begun after the siege was
half over, viz: 1st, Thayer's; 2d, Ewing's; 3d, Giles A. Smith's 4th,
Ransom's; 5th, Logan's; 6th, A. J. Smith's; 7th, Carr's; 8th, Hovey's;
9th, Lauman's; 10th, Herron's.

These approaches derived their names from the brigade or division
commanders who furnished the guards and working parties. The 2d of these
was along what was called the Graveyard road; the 5th along the Jackson
road; the 6th along the Baldwin's Ferry road; the 7th along the railroad;
the 9th on the Hall's Ferry road, and the 10th on the Warrenton road. The
2d, or Ewing's approach, was directed against the northeast angle of the
enemy's line, where that line, bending around the ravines at the head of a
small stream, takes the form of a bastion. This approach, early begun, was
the principal one in front of Sherman's corps, and with collateral work
was that on which he expended most labor.

On the Jackson road, where it enters the enemy's line of defense, is a
commanding hill, quite strongly salient, which had on it a redan for
several guns. The ridge along which the Jackson road runs offered fair
ground, and along it McPherson pushed his main approach--the one earliest
begun and on which his corps did most work. A.J. Smith and Carr pushed
approaches toward salient works, called by the Confederates Forts Pulaski
and Beauregard, one to the right, the other to the left of the railroad.
Hovey's approach on the square redoubt was not begun until late in the
siege. The three last approaches were in front of McClernand's (afterward
Ord's) corps.

There was another approach begun by Colonels Woods and
Maurer to the right of Thayer's, and near the river. After the work had
been energetically pushed by these officers, it met a deep ravine,
precluding farther progress. As this approach would not have been used in
an assault, it has not been mentioned in the previous enumeration. A brief
history of the approaches above mentioned may be of some interest.

A. J. SMITH'S APPROACH.
This approach followed generally the line of the Baldwin's Ferry road,
injudiciously leaving it in one place to avoid hard digging. When this
approach reached the immediate vicinity of the salient on which it was
directed, its progress was much impeded by the enemy's artillery fire,
grenades, &c. The enemy also attempted to blow up the sap-roller with
a mine, but failed by underestimating the distance and using too feeble a
charge. They succeeded in burning one sap-roller by lodging a fireball
against it. The work was, however, pushed forward, and a mine had been
commenced when the place surrendered. Top of page